The Wildcat Offense: 5 Things You Didn't Know

The Wildcat Offense: 5 Things You Didn't Know

Like it or not, the wildcat offense, which has seen plenty of success at the college football level, is in the NFL to stay. The formation’s success in 2008 was a clear indicator that even if the football gods were looking down and shaking their heads at this strategy, it is effective enough to warrant keeping in the game. When teams run the wildcat, their quarterback moves from his usual position and a running back or wide receiver lines up behind center to take the snap. The result of this formation can be a straight run, handoff or pass. Some NFL offenses love the wildcat, which is used in the majority of college football playbooks, while detractors find it too gimmicky and a slap in the face to the history of the game. Leading up to the 2009 season, everyone’s talking wildcat-this, wildcat-that, but unless you’re a true football geek, you might not know all there is to know about the creative formation.

Here are five things you didn’t know about the wildcat offense:

1- It’s as responsible for the Miami Dolphins’ turnaround as anything

In 2007, the Miami Dolphins went 1-15 and were the worst team in the NFL. A year later, they won the division following an 11-5 campaign. More than any other factor, it was Miami’s use of the wildcat offense that changed its fortunes. Throughout the 2008 campaign, the Dolphins ran 90 wildcat plays — far and away the most significant use of the formation in the league. Those plays gained 580 yards (an average of 6.4 yards per play) and, most importantly, eight touchdowns. Miami used the wildcat in each of its 11 wins and showed the formation’s offensive upside in an early win over the Patriots. In that contest, Miami rode the wildcat to four touchdowns and 119 yards, and the New England defense was unable to make the necessary adjustments to stop it. The most telling overall stat? The Dolphins were 11-3 in games in which they ran the wildcat.

2- More teams used it than didn’t in 2008

Think the wildcat offense is just a gimmick play? Think again. Lining up a running back behind center and moving the quarterback into the slot or out wide gained huge popularity in 2008, and will likely be seen even more this season. Seventeen NFL teams used the formation on at least one occasion, while the other 15 teams steered clear of it. Across the league, several star running backs and wide receivers lined up behind center and took snaps in the wildcat, including sensational Bears return-man Devin Hester, college quarterback-turned-wideout Anquan Boldin in Arizona and Cowboys rookie halfback Felix Jones. As popular as the formation was in 2008, all signs point to it being more commonly used in 2009.

3- Defenses hate it

The wildcat offense is a nightmare to defend against because in the traditional formation, the quarterback is essentially a spectator. After the snap, he’ll hand the ball off, throw it or occasionally run himself. But after he makes his move, it’s essentially 11 defenders against 10 offensive players. In the wildcat, offenses have a lot more options. If the running back takes the direct snap and runs, he’s a legitimate threat on the ground — unlike most quarterbacks who scramble, for instance. And just as it appears the running back is committed to the run, he can throw a pass downfield, often to the quarterback who’s made a block then slipped behind a defender. “It gives you an extra attacker because now the quarterback is a runner. Historically, defenses never had to account for the quarterback as a threat to run or block,” Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox said last season. Outspoken former defensive tackle and current NFL analyst Warren Sapp has gone a step further, calling the wildcat disrespectful to defenses.